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Original poster

Having a proper clear out- how do you work out what to keep?

32 replies

CaptainHarville · 19/08/2018 20:08

My attic is full to the point where I can't even get at stuff I need. Clearly it needs sorting.

I'm terrible for holding onto stuff. I've loads of school books (I'm 40). I've got notes from university. Loads of dvds and cds that we don't use as have Spotify.

How do you just get rid?

OP posts:
CurlyCurlyCurly · 19/08/2018 20:10

Be brutal. If you haven't looked at it in the last year- BIN.

ReggaetonLente · 19/08/2018 20:14

Honestly, I imagine my kids having to clear out my house if I died unexpectedly.

When my grandad died clearing his house was hellish. Just years and years of accumulated crap. Any fond memories of the place ruined, and there was no time to be sentimental about anything, we just had to plough on through.

It really made me see that ‘stuff’ is just a burden in the main!

MrsMoastyToasty · 19/08/2018 20:14

If it isn't used at least once a year it goes out. I only keep suitcases, desk fans, cushions for the garden furniture and Christmas stuff in my attic.
You don't need physical objects to remind you of times gone by (your school books), that's what your brain is for!

emsyj37 · 19/08/2018 20:21

I used the Marie Kondo book to help with clearing out our house before we moved last year. Worth a look - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying. It's great if you struggle to let go of things and get rid.

PinkBuffalo · 19/08/2018 20:29

I don't keep anything in the loft as I find it too difficult to get up there. I don't have anything from my school days (I'm early 30s)
I have some stuff from my dads, but basically I am quite ruthless and everything including the Christmas tree fits into my box room where I also keep my cross trainer (try to use this 3-4 times a week). If I don't use/wear it, it should go. My next big clear out will be when I move end of this year. My main possessions are probably my books as i read a lot, but if I have a book I've been given that I'm not going to read again, it goes to the charity shop.

ignatiusjreilly · 19/08/2018 20:34

I read a very old thread on here where a poster gave some advice that I found incredibly useful during my recent clearout.

She said don't think "will I ever use/need this again?" or you'll never get rid of anything. Instead think "will my life be worse if I don't have this anymore?".

Also, Marie Kondo's idea of asking yourself "does it spark joy?" is useful.

You'll be amazed how much you can get rid of if you ask those questions.

Good luck!

NellieBee · 19/08/2018 20:36

Marie Kondo's book was inspirational for me.

BarbaraofSevillle · 19/08/2018 20:39

Getting rid of the DVDs and CDs is easy. You have Spotify, so are unlikely to need any again. Perhaps also some sort of TV streaming service?

In the very unlikely even that you need any of the DVDs again, you can buy them for a couple of quid from Music Magpie.

Take them to the charity shop, car boot them, sell them to Music Magpie or similar, or sell them in job lots on eBay - this is how I got rid of loads of CDs, DVDs and XBox games - lay them all out on the floor, take photos and put them on eBay as a job lot, you don't even have to go to the effort of scanning barcodes or listing individual titles.

I'd confidently say that no-one needs their school books once they are an adult? There's subjects that were current affairs that I was doing at school, that people are now studying as History - Northern Ireland, Berlin Wall, Wars in former Yugoslavia and Iraq for example. What use are school books when things have moved on and we now have the internet? Keep your certificates, just in case, bin the rest.

SummersB · 19/08/2018 20:40

Yes yes to Marie Kond, came on here to recommend it. Potentially life changing stuff!
To summarise it in two sentences:
Does it bring you joy/pleasure?
Do you need it?
If it’s no to both - bin!!

I would recommend the book though, as she really does help you to get rid of “sentimental” clutter, other peoples’ stuff, things you keep stored away “for next winter” but you never use... it really is brilliant. Although there is a very odd section on how to store your socks which has made me think she is clearly also a bit mad! Very entertaining though!

HashTagLil · 19/08/2018 20:41

I used the Marie Kondo book to help with clearing out our house before we moved last year. Worth a look - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying. It's great if you struggle to let go of things and get rid.

I second this. It won't take long to read, but will transform your life!

BarbaraofSevillle · 19/08/2018 20:42

Another thing for things that may come in useful but are relatively cheap. You are likely to have quite a few of these, but will probably end up only needing to use one or two in the future.

Therefore, get rid of the lot and in the even that you need something again, buy that item. It will happen a lot less than you think. The only thing this has happened to me in the last 5/10 years was the Ikea blind cutter. And when I went to buy a new one, it cost about £2.

Most people would happily get rid of a bag full of crap even if it meant they might have to spend £2 five years down the line.

NutButterNutter · 19/08/2018 20:46

I am just coming to the end of this process! I temporarily disabled the sentimentality setting, armed myself with many black sacks and had an area for chucking, an area for keeping and an area for charity.
I then went round all the rooms in the house. I have another day to go, I think, but my house looks better than it has done for years, despite the inevitable untidiness a bit sort out brings. And the loft has room for anything in the house that needs a home Brew

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 19/08/2018 20:47

Get some big bags. One for keep, one for charity and one to chuck. It took me a while to throw out my teaching stuff- just in case- but it’s gone now. I kept one thing from each of the kids schooldays, but they didn’t want anything, so the rest went.

I think you have to be ruthless. I do it with clothes now too. If something comes in, something else has to go out.

bimbobaggins · 19/08/2018 20:50

I am quite a ruthless tidy person but I am terrible at sentimental things so I have kept just about every item my ds has owned , looked at , been given etc.
I did read an article once from a child to parent perspective saying please don’t keep this stuff as it’s us who needs to clean it out but it hasn’t helped.

bimbobaggins · 19/08/2018 20:52

Nut butter how did you manage to disable it ?

NutButterNutter · 19/08/2018 20:57

Bimbo I kept thinking of how beautiful my house would look without all the STUFF and also the thought of ever having to sort the attic for a move (or kids having to do it if I die here Confused) made it easier.
I do think you have to be in the right mood, though, a bit like doing a diet or giving up smoking Grin

IhatetheArchers · 19/08/2018 20:57

I have this problem, and Only way to deal with it is to be ruthless.

School books and university notes, straight into rubbish sacks, don't bother looking at them. If you don't want them going to the tip, Google a local shredding service.

Cds and dvds and books either straight to a charity shop, or get your children/young people to price them up for cex/music magpie, letting them keep the proceeds.

Clothes straight to a charity shop, don't bother sorting, you haven't seen them for years, you don't need them.

Furniture, broken or outdated appliances technology, household items etc, local tip. Unlikely you are throwing away any valuable gems.

Get everything out of the house as quickly as possible, don't bother with car boot sales or ebay, that will give you time to change your mind, and you will have crap hanging around the house instead of in the loft.
The money they cost is gone, you can't get it back.

BarbaraofSevillle · 19/08/2018 21:00

As well as Marie Kondo, there's also the Swedish Death Cleaning method, which isn't as grim as it sounds, it's basically thinking about, if you passed away, whether or old age, or suddenly, or had to move into a care home etc, sparing your surviving relatives the grim task of clearing a home that could have decades of (mostly) useless shit crammed into it.

bimbobaggins · 19/08/2018 21:00

Thanks nutbutter, I definitely need to start clearing it out. I think I’ve kept every single birthday and Christmas card my ds has ever been given. I mean why lol. I think I’ll start with that

NutButterNutter · 19/08/2018 21:32

Yeah just start, Bimbo, and think of something you can reward yourself with, like new curtains you really want but don't really neeeeed. But do make sure you charity shop the old ones lol!!

Original poster
CaptainHarville · 19/08/2018 22:06

Very guilty of it might be useful one day. I'm trying to be brutal but probably not being brutal enough.

I've made a start. I can now get to all parts of the attic but still way too much stuff. The light has died now but tomorrow I'll get rid of all my university notes, school work and cds and dvds. That will clear a fair bit of the attic out.

In terms of sentimental stuff that still leaves loads of baby stuff - youngest is 6! I'm also keeping boxes of stuff that the kids have produced.

In terms of useful stuff it leaves camping gear, fishing stuff, suitcases, electronic stuff of DHs and some craft bits of mine that simply cannot fit anywhere else. Also some financial paperwork.

I will try harder in the morning!

OP posts:
NutButterNutter · 20/08/2018 01:04

Get done vacuum bags for the clothes you do keep, OP - they shrink them down to stackable rectangles and also keep them safe from moths and mustiness. But do try to get rid - if you had another baby, you'd probably feel not-too-sad at needing a shopping spree Grin

Original poster
CaptainHarville · 20/08/2018 06:30

I know that I've kept far too many baby clothes and it's entirely sentimental as no chance or desire for another baby. I think now they're so much older I'm sure I'm much less attached so will try and go through them.

The vacuum pack bags is a great idea though. I'll get some of those.

OP posts:
lljkk · 20/08/2018 08:24

What is the point of sentimental baby clothes? Will you ever even look at them again?

TwoGinScentedTears · 20/08/2018 08:39

If you're sentimental get a strong box or trunk. Allow yourself a memories box. One school book, a favourite baby grow, and shrink it all down so that it fits in one small thing. That way you're keeping some of the stuff but not all of it.

Another top tip is when the kids bring drawings and stuff home, regularly sort it out, I try to only keep special stuff or 1 in 10. I also have a couple of frames and frame the best stuff. Then when something new and amazing comes home I out the new picture in the from of the frame.